


The wrong side of the tracks

by asamandra



Category: Marvel, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: M/M, Prompt Fic, hustler!clint, john!tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-11
Updated: 2013-05-11
Packaged: 2017-12-11 13:03:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/799043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asamandra/pseuds/asamandra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Tony meets hustler Clint and becomes a regular</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. 1992

**Author's Note:**

> This prompt on Avengerskink: [Clint/Tony, prostitution](http://avengerkink.livejournal.com/16019.html?thread=34681491#t34681491)
> 
> Clint leaves the circus with no money, no support system, no formal education and no idea what to do next, so he turns to sex work to support himself. Meanwhile, a young Tony is a little bored with the shallow gold-diggers he attracts and wants to find a more dangerous and exciting way to rebel, so he drives over to the wrong side of the tracks and ends up a little bit enamored with Clint, who's the complete opposite of everyone Tony's ever met.
> 
> Bonus: What happens 20 years later when they finally remember why their fellow Avenger looks so familiar?

“What do you think where you are going?” Stane sounded angry when he grabbed his arm and tried to hold him back but with a violent shrug Tony got rid of his hand and glared at the older man. 

“I need fresh air before I hit someone.” He spat and wiped over his face with one hand.

“Tony, you...” 

“Don't tell me what I can and can not do.” 

“It's your birthday party, they are your guests. You can't leave.” 

“You wanna bet?” 

“Tony!” 

“Yes, Obie. It's my party. But I don't know most of these... guys... in there. All of these bozos want to meet the _'golden child'_ of Stark Industries and the... the... the shrews throw themselves on me because I have the fucking money and you know what? I give a damn if they are offended.” He gestured at the hall he just left.

“Tony, come on. You're the heir of SI and now it's your duty to continue your father's work.” Stane once again tried to grab his arm. 

“You want to tell me this party has something to do with my fathers work? _You_ know them, _you_ invited them, _you_ entertain them.” He turned and wanted to leave again.

“What shall I tell them?” 

“You'll figure something out.” He shrugged. A few seconds later he sat in his 1968 Pontiac Firebird and on his way out of the garage. He breathed deeply when he was out and on the road. He had no idea where to drive but he needed the distance to all these... hypocrites in there. 

 

***

 

He didn't know how he ended in this part of the city but at least no one knew him here. He drove through the streets between decrepit buildings and empty, manky lots. Here and there were dubious bars and shops and on the streets were hookers trying to get the attention of the drivers. 

At first he thought about entering one of the bars but with tux and bow tie he was a little bit overdressed, not to forget that with the money he paid for his clothes he could've bought the whole street. He just wanted to turn into the next street, when he saw a young hustler at the corner of one of the dilapidated buildings. The boy, he couldn't be older than eighteen, leaned against the wall behind him, his hands in the pockets of his tattered jeans and his head cocked. When he noticed Tony staring at him he put on an inviting smirk. 

He passed him. But then he stopped his car, turned and drove back. The boy was still there. And his smirk got broader. Tony stopped beside him and he came over to the car.

“Hey.” He said, when Tony opened the window and he leaned forward to look at him. 

“You got lost?” He asked but when Tony shook his head, his mouth too dry to speak right now, the guy smiled at him.

“So, you up for some company?” Tony nodded. “Cat's got your tongue?” He grinned and opened the door.

“No. It's just...” He started.

“Your first time?” The guy asked and Tony nodded again. 

“Twenty bucks a hand job, thirty for a blow job, fifty for the whole deal, no glove, no love and no kissing.” He said and flopped down beside him. 

“Okay. What about the rest of the night?” Tony asked and the boy cocked his head again.

“Two hundred and fifty. And you take care of a room.” He closed the door and turned to look at Tony. 

“Do you... do you know a... a location around here?” He asked. 

“There's a motel down there.” He pointed at one of the streets. Tony eyed him up, now that he had him this close. He was cute. Blonde, medium length hair, earring in the left ear, gray eyes, a sexy smile and a body that could tempt a saint. 

“So, we can wait here in the car the rest of the evening or you can drive to the motel.” Tony wasn't used to such obvious sarcasm. But for a change it was nice to have not another apple-polisher around him.

“Right, motel.” He grinned now and started to drive in the direction of the motel. 

 

***

 

The motel was a cheap fleabag. But it had a bed with reasonably clean sheets. Tony looked around in the room and was slightly shocked. His walk-in-closet at home was bigger than this room and the bathroom together. 

“You have a name?” The young man asked when he closed the door behind him and leaned against it. He knew exactly how to move, Ton noticed, because he looked damn sexy right now. Tony's mouth got dry again.

“An... Edward. My name is Edward.” He said, opened his bow tie and put half of the money on the nightstand. 

“Edward. Okay. So, what do you want, Edward?” The hustler asked and smiled invitingly. 

“Uhm... what's your name?” He asked and ignored his question.

“You can call me Francis. Or Frank. Whatever you prefer.” He said and moved up to Tony, slowly but with the grace of a cat. Again this smile and then he opened Tony's jacket.

“What do you want?” He asked again in a low voice. 

“Can you undress?” Tony said and shrugged his jacket off. 

With another smile Francis stepped back and removed his shirt. And Tony was stunned. That skinny kid had surprisingly muscular arms and a well-defined chest and when he got rid of his pants Tony saw slim hips and nicely shaped legs. Nothing one would expect from a street hustler. 

“Nice.” He couldn't stop himself saying that. He didn't wear underwear and so he saw a more than average cock and he had to swallow. 

With a sexy as hell smirk he came over to Tony, knelt in front of him and opened his pants. When he freed Tony's dick he could feel that he had callused fingers. But Tony didn't have time to think about that when he felt his tongue flick over the head of his cock. He moaned and the hustler grinned and swirled his tongue again over his dick, teased the slit before he closed his mouth around it. But he still had only the head in his mouth. He licked it like a lollipop and Tony couldn't restrain another moan when he finally descended. 

Tony always thought he was well-hung but that guy could swallow him completely and he knew what to do with his tongue. When he came up he teased the vein on the underside of his shaft and when he descended he relaxed his throat to take him in to the hilt. 

“Oh god.” Tony groaned and leaned back on the rough sheets, one hand on the guy's head in his hair. And then he felt the boy's hands on his balls, carefully massaging and kneading them and the added friction was all he needed to cum. Francis managed to let his dick go in time and Tony came over his chest. “Oh god.” He moaned again and slumped down onto the mattress.  


He panted and then he felt the hustler lay down beside him. “Shit.” He murmured but the other guy just shrugged. 

“You have the rest of the night to do it right.” He smirked and Tony felt his worn out dick twitch slightly. Yes, he had the rest of the night and he would fuck that tiny ass soon, he thought. He just needed a few minutes to recover.

 

***

 

“So, who are you hiding from?” The young man asked him, sitting beside him on the bed. They both leaned at the headboard.

“Why do you think I'm hiding?” Tony asked. 

“You kidding?” Francis snorted. “You came in a... what?... ten thousand dollar tux to this skanky part of the city and want to tell me you're here because you want to be?” 

“Yeah well... I was fed up with the idiots at my birthday party and... left.” Tony grinned lopsided.

“It's your birthday?” He asked and pulled one of his legs up to his chest.

“Yeah.” Tony slowly nodded.

“Happy Birthday, then.” 

“Thanks. Guess you're the first one who's honest about it.” Tony snorted slightly.

“This bad?” The guy wrinkled his brows.

“Bootlickers, apple-polishers and cadgers.” 

“Nice. Why don't you throw them out?” 

“Good question. Next question?” 

“Okay, what do you do?” 

“I'm an engineer but I have to manage my fathers company.” 

“Wow. Sounds boring.” 

Tony snorted. “You can't imagine how boring.” 

“So, why don't you... I don't know... ditch that thing and do what you want?” 

“That's not so easy.” 

“Sounds pretty easy to me. Find someone who can manage your company and do what you like.” 

“Is that why you do this? Do what you like?”

“That? Nope. It's just a temporary solution.” 

“What will you do?” 

“Don't know. I don't go back to the circus, that's for sure.” 

“You're a carnie?” 

“Not anymore. But that's nothing to be ashamed of.” He sounded slightly offended. 

“Didn't say that. What did you do? In circus I mean.” 

The guy laughed silently. “I'm world's greatest marksman.” 

“You definitely have no shortage of self-confidence.” Tony grinned now.

“Nope. No time for such a thing. And by the way, it's the truth.” 

“Okay.” 

“So, you up for another round?” 

 

***

 

“Sorry, Obie. I'm on my way out?” Tony said and walked to the door.

“Where are you going?” The older man asked and sat down unbidden in one of the two chairs in front of his desk.

“I have something to do.” He said. 

“Something I need to know?” Stane asked and turned to face him.

“Nope.” He cocked his head and waited for the older man to rise and leave the room with him.

“Tony, it's...” 

“...nothing you need to know. It's private.” 

“Okay. When will you be back?” 

“Since when do I have to explain myself to you?” Tony snapped and turned to glare at Stane. 

“You don't have to.” He shrugged. “I just...” He couldn't finish his sentence because Tony interrupted him.

“I'm twenty five years old, Obie. I'm not a child anymore. And it's my fucking company. I'm able to decide what to do or not very well. And right now, I'm leaving.” He spat, left the room and slammed the door shut. 

Thirty six minutes later he found himself again on the wrong side of the tracks. He really hadn't intended to come back, well he'd thought about it, but then somehow he ended here, this time in a Porsche 911, and over there, at the same corner as last time, he saw Francis. He breathed deeply and drove to the corner. 

“Hey.” The young man greeted him. And when he recognized him, he smiled. 

“Do you have time?” Tony asked and the guy shrugged. 

“Sure.” And he opened the door to enter the car. 

“The rest of the night?” Tony asked once again.

“Yeah, why not?” Francis grinned. “Nice car.” 

Tony drove to the same motel they were the last time and he got the same room. As soon as the door was closed behind him he got rid of his jacket and then he stripped the hustler out of his shirt. But then he remembered and put half of the money onto the nightstand. 

Francis smirked and was already out of his pants and on the bed when Tony turned back to him. 

“You seem to be a little bit stressed today.” He smiled invitingly and lounged back. 

Tony growled slightly and removed his own shirt before approaching the younger man. He wanted to go down on him but Tony stopped him.

“No, turn around.” He commanded and the boy raised a brow but complied. Tony touched his ass cheeks, squeezed them and then spread them with his fingers. With one hand he fumbled with the lube and coated one finger before he breached the hole and soon he added a second finger. The young man moaned and Tony slicked his entrance thoroughly, then he opened his pants, freed his erection, ripped open the foil of a condom and with his other hand he put it over his rock hard dick. With a good amount of lube on his cock he lined himself up and with a forceful push he shoved himself in. 

“Oh god.” The young man groaned and Tony grabbed his hips to hold him in position. He waited a few seconds before he withdrew till only the head of his dick was in the channel. And with another push he pounded back in. He fucked him hard and fast and he knew he wouldn't last very long. At least for the first time and so he reached around the boy's body and grabbed his dick, started to stroke it while he held his frantic rhythm. With his thumb he flicked over the head of his cock a few times and then he felt him twitch in his hands and with another few strokes at his sweet spot he felt him spurt, loudly moaning, over his hand and finally Tony allowed himself to let the orgasm wash him away and with a loud groan he came as well and shot his load into the body in front of him. He slid out of his channel and sat back on his heels, still gasping for air, when he peeled off the filled condom, knotted it and let it drop onto the mattress beside him. 

Francis grinned and turned onto his back. “Like I said, a little bit stressed.” He chuckled and moved up to the headboard to lean against it. And Tony let himself drop onto the mattress where he was, just turned and looked at the splotched ceiling and wondered, what these stains have been once. 

 

***

 

“You okay?” Francis asked when Tony didn't move.

“Yeah. Just wondered about these stains up there.” The young man laughed and Tony discovered that he had a very unique laughter but he liked it. 

“Believe me, you don't wanna know that.” He said. 

Tony finally leaned on his elbows and looked up to the sitting man. “Sorry.” He mumbled.

“What for?” Francis asked and lifted one brow.

“For being so rough.” He said and turned onto his side. 

The young man snorted. “I've had worse.” He said and angled for the used condom that still was on the bed.

“What do you want with that?” But the hustler just grinned and threw it into the waste bucket at the other end of the room, then he stretched himself out at the bed.

“Fluke.” Tony muttered but the other man just snorted again. 

“You wanna bet?” He grinned and now Tony glared.

“I'll double your fee when you repeat it.” 

“I need something to throw.” He said and Tony looked around but found only his car keys. Francis looked at them and lifted a brow.

“Well, I can clean them if you score.” Tony shrugged. The young man weighed the keys in his hand, then he looked up at him, held Tony's gaze and threw the keys. They landed in the waste bucket. 

“That's a trick.” Tony stated. 

“Nope. Just good aiming.” He grinned. 

“Okay, you repeat it and I keep your eyes shut.” Tony said and got up to fetch the keys from the bucket. He'd hit the condom and the thin latex burst open and now the keys were sheathed in cum. With a grimace Tony took the whole bucket and carried to the bathroom while the young man watched him with a mischievous grin on his face. He cleaned the keys and got rid of the condom as well. He put one of the poor excuses for a towel into the bucket. This way he doesn't have to clean the keys again, if he scores again.

Tony put the bucket as far away as possible, handed the young man the keys and then he put his hands over eyes and made sure he didn't see anything. He threw the keys and got another direct hit. 

“Shit.” Tony was astounded. 

“I didn't lie when I said I'm worlds best marksman.”

“But why do you do this?” Tony sat down on the bed in front of him and frowned.

“When I left the circus I lost my bow and I need a new one.” 

“You shoot with a bow?” 

“Guns are like cheating.” He shrugged. 

“But with the money you earned this evening you should get a new bow.” 

The young man laughed again and shook his head. 

“I can work with an off the shelf bow. But it's... I need something special. And special is expensive. Very expensive.”

“What can be so special about a bow?” 

“I need one I can use with both hands. Then it has to be adapted to me, my hands, my arms, you know? And the chick who's going to make it experiments with new materials. It will be awesome. But... expensive.” 

“Wow.” Tony said, still baffled. He always thought about guns and rifles because that's what SI does. He never thought about bows. But now he will. 

“But I guess, you're not here to talk about bows, right?” Francis asked and looked smirking at Tony's already semi-erect cock. 

 

***

 

Tony sat at the end of the big conference table with crossed legs, on one of them he had a note pad and sketched a bow. The last few days he read everything he could get about bows. Somehow the idea that they are still in use in modern times intrigued him and now he knew someone who could shoot with it and so he tried to design the perfect bow. He already had a few design ideas in his folder but this one was a real high tech assassin weapon and he made some calculations in his head right now when he heard his name. 

“Tony?” He finally looked up at Obie and the other guys staring expectantly at him.

“What?” He asked. 

“I asked you for the third time for your opinion about to transfer the headquarters from New York to Los Angeles. Nearly all the production facilities are in California and it's easier for us to work when we're not this far away.” 

Tony really hadn't listened. He was so concentrated in his new design that he had let them talk and now he had to make a decision. 

“Yeah. Well... I'll deliberate that question.” He finally said and rose. The guy's stared at him puzzled. Obviously they weren't finished. But now he couldn't go back. 

“Uhm... Tony, we're...” Stane started and glared at the younger man.

“We're done now. I have something to do.” He said and left the room with the note pad and his folder. With a sigh he closed the door to his office behind himself and leaned against it. This bullshit was so boring. He could do so much more in his workshop but he had to sit around and listen to Stane and the other old men ranting about finances, opening up new markets and numbers, numbers, numbers. He was so bored out of his mind right now. 

When he heard Obie ask his secretary if he's in there he finally moved, went over to the small bar, a relict from the time this was his fathers office, and poured himself a fifty-three years old Irish whiskey and flopped onto the couch when the older man came in without knocking. 

“What's wrong with you?” He spat and glowered at the young man. 

“You can't leave in the middle of a board meeting.” 

“Well, you've seen that I can.” He said and emptied the tumbler.

“Tony, this is your company now. You have to...” Stane started again and paced in front of his desk but Tony interrupted him.

“Don't! Don't you dare tell me what I have to do. This is... stupid fucking shit. All this talking and discussing and self-adulating and... and... fuck! I want to do something useful.” 

“Tony, you...” But he already ignored him. He called his secretary.

“Publish a job advertisement. I need a P.A.” He said when the older woman entered the office.

“What's that supposed to mean?” Obie asked and flopped down on the couch beside Tony, still glaring furiously. 

“That means, that I want to have someone who can do all the shit I don't want to do. And I can do something... something useful in the meantime.” He gestured with his hands. 

“What about Los Angeles?” 

“Might as well.” He sighed, put the empty tumbler onto the coffee table and rose. 

“Where are you going?” Obie said while Tony opened the door. 

“I don't know. Out.” He said and closed the door behind himself. 

 

***

 

He didn't wanted to come to this part of the city again. But here he was, waiting in his car within eyeshot of a certain corner. Twenty minutes later he came. This time he wore a tight black jeans with cuts in the right places and a purple muscle-shirt to bring out his arms. Tony shooed three other hustlers away who wanted to get his attention till he was there. 

He started the engine of his car and drove to the corner. When the young man saw the car he came over and leaned down.

“Hey.” He greeted and when he recognized him he grinned and chuckled slightly. 

“The rest of the night?” He asked and Tony just nodded. “Right.” He said and climbed into the car. Tony looked at him and saw, that he had a split lip. 

“What happened to your face?” He asked. 

“Oh that.” He touched the bruise with one finger. “There's this pimp who believes I should work for him.” 

“And you didn't agree with him.” Tony stated and the guy grinned again. 

“Exactly.” 

“What will you do about this guy?” He asked and saw the young hustler shrug.

“I don't know. I guess it's time to move on.” 

“What about the money for your bow?” 

“There are other cities.” 

“I have an idea.” Tony finally said.

“No, you don't...” He started but Tony interrupted him.

“No, that's not... I... I need to partake in a very boring conference next weekend in Vegas and... I could need company.”

“You want me to come with you to Las Vegas? But...” 

“How much... how much do you need to get the bow?” Tony asked. 

“Four grand.” He said and looked suspiciously at him.

“Deal? One weekend in Vegas for four grand.” 

“Wow. I've never been to Vegas. Okay, I'm game.” 

“Cool. Then this bullshit is at least bearable outside of the meetings.” Tony grinned now. And the other man laughed in his unique way again and started to hum 'Viva, Las Vegas'.

 

***

Tuesday evening Tony was at the theater. It was a new play and the ticket was a present and so he went to see it. He fell asleep after thirty minutes and that was no mean feat. The play was as boring as possible. A twelve minute monologue, followed by a monosyllabic dialogue and then they sang. When he started to snore slightly Obie elbowed him and Tony awoke startled. But when he discovered that he still was at the theater he pinched the bridge of his nose, yawned and looked up at the ceiling. He thought about the previous day, when he was with Francis at the motel. 

_They had entered the room and as usual Tony put the money onto the nightstand but then he had felt the hustlers hands on his shoulders, removing his jacket and then his shirt._

_“You're tense.” He said and Tony nodded. He was._

_“Lay down.” The younger man said and Tony complied. He flopped down onto the bed, face down, and laid his head on his folded hands under his chin._

_The other man straddled his hips to sit on his ass and then he started to knead his back. Gentle at first but soon he added some pressure and it was wonderful. He felt callused fingers loosen the tensions in his muscles and he nearly started to purr._

_“Fuck, where did you learn that?” He moaned and Francis chuckled._

_“Lilly Rose, one of the contortionists in the circus I've been. She was... very talented.”_

_“Yes, I'm sure she was.”_

_“She was the wet dream of most of the guy's there.. and of a few of the girls, too.”_

_“Yours?” Tony asked._

_“Nah, that was René from the flying trapeze.” He smirked._

_When he slapped his back slightly, Tony turned around. The young man now sat on his thighs. And when he felt Tony's boner between his legs his smirk got broader. He got up and rid of his pants and shirt, then he leaned forward and opened Tony's pants to free his dick. He tried to rise but the younger man pressed him back onto the mattress._

_He stepped onto the bed and over Tony's body. With a smirk he lubed his finger and prepared his entrance himself so that Tony could watch him._

_Tony couldn't resist, he started to rub his dick while he watched the young man finger fucking himself. With a lecherous grin Francis threw a condom onto Tony's chest and he knew what to do. He put it over his hard cock and slicked it with the lube the other man handed him. When he was done, the hustler removed his fingers and descended gracefully and maneuvered Tony's erection into his channel._

_Tony groaned with closed eyes. He expected the younger man ride his dick. But Francis had something else in mind. He started to move his hips, rolled them and the friction was awesome.  
_

_“Oh boy.” Tony panted and let his head drop back onto the cushions while he felt the speed of Francis' movements increase. His hands moved up the younger mans legs till he got hold of his dick and he jacked him off. They both didn't last long and finally the young man came, spurted his come over Tony's hand and his belly before he felt the wave of an intense orgasm hit him and he came with a scream and shot his load into his body._

_“God, did you learn that in circus, too?” Tony asked after some time when he finally regained the ability to speak. Francis laid beside him, as worn out as himself, and just chuckled again._

_“Maybe I show you in Vegas what else I've learned.”_

Tony still grinned, when he came back from his daydream, and the play was finally over. 

***

“Good afternoon, Mr. Stark.” The woman smiled brightly at Tony. She was a few years older than him but she acted around him like a teenager in love. He rolled his eyes when she didn't look in his direction. 

“Mrs.... Marsters, right? Why do you want this job?” He asked and offered her a seat with a gesture.

“Because it would be a great honor to work for you, Mr. Stark.” She said and sat down in front of his desk.

Tony lifted a brow. “Ah.” He said and looked back at her CV. 

“I can see that you've been Justin Hammer's PA, lately. Why did you leave Hammer Industries?” 

“We had... personal differences.” 

“Mhm.” 

“You know, that I often work at unusual times?” He asked and looked at her. Her lips twitched slightly. 

“No, I didn't know that.” 

“Would that be a problem for you?” 

“What do you mean with unusual times?” She asked and furrowed her brows. 

“Well, someone once said I'm always working. That means that it could happen that I need something at three AM or at the weekend or I'm not available at nine AM. Things like that.” 

“Oh, that's... unusual.” She said but she still tried to smile at him.

“Yes, I know. That's why I asked you.” 

“I... I don't know...” 

“Mrs Marsters. Why are you really here?” Tony asked now straightforward. 

“I... I told him that it's a bad idea.” She started up from the chair and went for the door and managed not to run. He sighed and put the folder aside. It's not as easy to find a good PA as he'd thought it would be. He spoke to thirteen people today but this woman was too much right now. 

Hammer. He guessed that it was his idea to wrangle someone into SI to spy at him. He sighed again. 

“Daria, I'm leaving. I need my jet ready in three hours.” He called his secretary and went for his car. He had to get a certain someone. 

Tony had given the young man instructions where to wait for him and when he arrived, he was there with a small duffel bag by his side. When he opened the door of the car, Tony looked at the bag and frowned. “Is that all you're gonna take with you?” He asked. 

And now the other man furrowed his brows. “Well, yes. Why? I don't...” He started and when he heard Tony tsk-tsking he stopped and looked at the bag in his hand. “I don't have much things.” He finally said.

“You need a suit.” Tony stated and changed direction. 

“What, no... I...” 

“You need a suit.” Tony repeated and grinned now. 

Twenty minutes later they stopped at an elegant shop in a part of the city Francis had never been so far. The owner, Jones, came over and wanted to greet Tony with his name, as usual, but when he shook his head, the man understood. 

“Good afternoon, Gentlemen. What can I do for you?” He said instead.

“We, well... he” Tony pointed at his companion, “needs a suit.” Jones eyed the young man up, walked around him with disappointed glances at his current appearance, and Tony could see Francis really uncomfortable right now.

“Do you have any preferences?” He asked then and when Francis looked at him for help, Tony answered. 

“We want to go to Vegas. We need something fancy but not too extravagant, elegant but comfortable. And I think gray would suit him.” 

“Of course.” Jones said and left. Five minutes later he was back with a few suits for the young man to try on. And another hour later they'd bought two suits, a light gray one and a dark, nearly black, pinstriped one. And boy was that a difference. Tony was used to see the hustler in tight and tantalizing clothes but in a suit... he wanted to throw him over the next counter and fuck him senseless. 

And now Tony was pretty sure, the weekend in Vegas would be fun.

 

***

 

The conference was in Caesars Palace. Tony didn't know why it had to be in Las Vegas and in a casino on top of that but now he was here, he had nice company and he wanted to have fun outside of the boring meetings. They arrived Friday night and after checking in the two of them entered the casino. They tried a few tables but ended at a black jack table and there, after an hour of playing, Tony discovered another useful skill in Francis. Just when Tony wanted to take another card from the dealer, the young man shook his head. Tony responded and the dealer had twenty three and Tony seventeen. Twenty minutes later they left the table because it was suspicious right now, but Tony grinned like a loon. They had cheated on the casino and gotten away with it and he felt wonderful. 

“Wow, that was... wow!” He still grinned. “Did you learn that in circus?” He asked and the younger man smirked.

“No, I just observed the dealer. Didn't know that it would work.”

“Guess you've good eyes.” Tony said and dragged the young man to the next bar. They just ordered drinks when he saw Francis stare at someone in the crowd, then turn to him. 

“Can we go to the room?” He asked and when Tony looked in the same direction, he saw a man in a black suit looking around as if he were searching for someone.

“Do you know him?” Tony asked but the young man just shook his head.

“No.” He whispered in his ear. “But I want you to fuck me through the mattress right now.” 

“That sounds like a plan.” Tony said, already forgotten the black suited guy.

They managed to enter the room before they got rid of their clothes. Tony steered the young man back till he fell onto the bed. He leaned over him, grabbed his wrists and held them over his head, then he started to stroke and caress his body, teased his nipples till the small nubs were hard and the other man was moaning. He licked them, nibbled them, bit them, soothed them with his tongue and he felt Francis squirm. 

He licked and caressed his way down his body and then he licked over the head of Francis' semi-erect cock and he threw his head back. 

“Please, I want to feel you inside of me.” He panted and Tony smirked. He leaned over to the nightstand and fetched a condom and the lube. He sheathed his cock and then he slicked the hustlers tight channel.

“Come on, stop stalling. Fuck me.” He pleaded and Tony complied willingly. He grabbed his ankles and spread the young man's legs as far as possible before he shoved in. 

“Yesss.” He sighed and wrapped his legs around Tony's waist to drag him deeper into his body. 

“Oh boy, you're killing me.” Tony moaned and leaned over Francis to lick his nipples once again. With a steady rhythm he pounded him and he felt him squirm and writhe under him and his breathing sped up. 

“Faster, please.” The younger man pleaded and when Tony finally felt his orgasm well up, Francis wrapped a hand around Tony's head and pulled him down into a fierce and passionate kiss. And that was all he needed and he came so hard he nearly blacked out. With a loud moan the young man spurted his own semen onto Tony's body just a few seconds later. Tony flopped down beside him, his arm wrapped around the other man's body and he once again felt his lips search his mouth. This time the kiss was softer but still as demanding as the first one and Tony felt lightheaded when they broke. With a smile on his lips and his arms wrapped around the younger man he fell asleep. 

 

***

 

Tony woke up the next morning very early. He was pretty sure that they fell asleep without blanket around them but somehow they were covered right now. Francis laid on his side and snored slightly with open mouth and Tony thought how cute that was. He looked so much younger when he was asleep. Yawning he looked at his watch. 7 AM. Darn! But he had to go up, he had this awful meeting. Carefully to not wake the young man in his arm he left the bed and sneaked to the bathroom. He showered, shaved and dressed before he left the bedroom. The other man was still sleeping. He smiled, when he entered the living room and found the coffee the room service had brought. He drank his first cup right off the boil. 

While he collected the stuff he needed for the conference he emptied the cup for the second time. He just wanted to leave but then he turned once again, put thousand dollars in chips onto the nightstand with the note: _'Have fun!'_ beside it. He smiled and left the suite.

The conference was as boring as he expected it. Two times he fell asleep but most of the time he worked on his concept for an armor. He had the idea a few months ago but he didn't find anything to power it. And then he thought about the material. Iron or steel was way too heavy. 

He didn't know how he managed to survive it but finally the first day was over and he could leave the conference room and all the old men who thought they were so important. All he wanted to do was to grab a shower, preferably with Francis, and then back to the casino. It was fun with him. 

But when he entered his suite it was empty. In the bedroom he found both of Francis' suits but his other stuff was gone and there was a sheet of paper on the nightstand together with the thousand dollars, but the chips were different right now. 

_'I'm sorry, but they found me. I have to leave._  
 _Thanks for everything._  
 _I'm really sorry._  
 _Love, C.  
_ _P.S: Do what you like and not what others expect you to.'_

C? Who's C? Apparently his real name. Shit, Tony thought. But who are _they_? And why are these mysterious _they_ after him? 

Tony called for the Hotel Security and they sent someone up to his suite. He described his problem, that his companion was missing, and they started to look for him in the casino. One of them took Tony the video surveillance room and they watched the videotapes. He found out that he was there the whole afternoon, dressed in that sexy dark gray suit, and he played Black Jack. Tony could see him observe at first, then he started to play. He lost quite a bit money, then he had a 'lucky streak' and then, when he started to lose, he left the table and went to the next table. He'd won a fair sum, when he saw the chips he had in front of him. But Tony could see something else. The young man was nervous. Pretty nervous. He always looked over his shoulder and had the crowd in his focus. And once Tony could see a guy in a black suit. Damn, that was the guy from yesterday. But who are they? And what do they want from a hustler and ex-carnie?

Tony talked to the staff and with the help of a few bucks they remembered very well. The young man left the hotel just ten minutes before the conference ended and they wondered, what a guy in tattered jeans, muscle-shirt, leather jacket and Dr. Martens had done in the casino. 

Tony went back to his suite. He reread the note he left. Do what you like and not what others expect you to. Sounds like a good advise, he thought. 

He leaned back on the couch, his head on the backrest and he stared at the ceiling. Pity, he thought. He really had liked the guy and he wondered, if he ever would see him again.


	2. 2012

Two weeks after they defeated the Chitauri and they'd sent Loki back to Asgard with his brother, Fury visited him in the tower, together with the Agents Romanov and Barton. Tony felt a little bit uneasy around the two Agents. Romanov was a spy, she was his PA after he promoted Pepper and the other guy, Barton, he was an assassin who always wore his shades. And it wasn't helpful for Tony that he used a bow because that reminded him painfully on a certain young man he once met. But nevertheless, he invited them to stay here, together with the other Avengers and so he had to get used to them as well.

“Mr. Stark. Can I talk to you?” Fury asked and Tony looked at Pepper.

“Can you show the two Agents their apartments, please?” He asked and Pepper nodded. 

“If you want to follow me, Natalie... uhm, Natasha... and Agent Barton.” She said.

“Call me Clint.” The assassin said and smiled but followed Pepper. Tony frowned when he saw him leave behind the two women. There was something... he just couldn't point with his finger on it. 

Fury wanted to talk about the Avengers being based in the tower but Tony listened only with one ear. In his mind he was twenty years back in Las Vegas. 

 

As long as his penthouse was in need of renovation, Tony and Pepper moved to the lower floors, where the other Avengers had their apartments. They used Thor's because he needed to be in Asgard for at least another month. Tony just wanted to go to his lab when he ran into Agent Barton. The man was sweaty and wore black running shorts and a purple singlet and his obligatory shades. 

“Sorry.” The man said and looked at him. Tony couldn't see his eyes but he felt eyed up. 

“No problem.” Tony replied and now they both stood in the corridor and were quiet and it was somehow awkward. 

“I... uhm... need to go to my workshop.” Tony finally mumbled and left hastily. There was something about the younger man, but he still couldn't point at it.

 

“You're not fifteen anymore, Tony! You can't always do what you want!” Pepper yelled and followed Tony to the communal living room. 

“I don't...” He started but then they discovered Steve, Natasha, Clint and Bruce sitting in the room and now looking at the two of them. It was suddenly very quiet.

“Sorry.” Tony said and turned to leave but Pepper held him back. 

“You can't do that. It's...” She started again and Tony turned to her. 

“Dammit! That's my fucking company. I do what I like and not what others expect me to do.” He spat and shook her hand off.

“Okay. Fine.” She sounded hurt. Really hurt. 

“Pepper, please...” He tried to apologize. 

“No, Tony. Do what you like.” She said and glared at him murderous before she left. 

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose. “Shit.” He swore and hit the wall before he left as well and headed for his workshop. He didn't see Clint staring at him open-mouthed with a shocked expression on his face.

 

“You're on your way to SHIELD-HQ?” Tony asked a few days later and when the younger Agent nodded he added, “Can you give me a ride?” 

“Sure.” He said and pointed at a spare helmet on the rack. “You'll need this.” Clint said. 

Tony found himself a few minutes later on the backseat of a Honda CBR1000RR. “Hold on tight.” Barton said when he started the engine and drove out onto the street. It was a little bit like flying in his suit. The motorcycle was fast and Clint a very good driver and so they were at the HQ in an instant. 

“Okay, I'll see you later.” He said and left for his debriefing while Tony went to the workshops to help the so called engineers to upgrade the quinjets. 

He was just done with the second jet when he heard something alarmingly familiar. A laughter he thought he would never hear again. He bounced up and hit his head on one of the metal bars and then he looked around frantically. 

There was only Barton with one of the mechanics fiddling with his motorcycle and talking and this moment the mechanic said something and Clint laughed and there it was again. That very unique laughter of a young hustler he met twenty years ago. And now it was Tony who stared open-mouthed. 

 

***

 

He shouldn't do this. He knew it was wrong in all shades of wrong. He was sure it couldn't be possible but he needed to know. When he finally got through the last firewall he searched for the personnel records. Barton. There it was. He opened the file. 

Clinton Francis Barton. Francis. His middle name was Francis. He looked for pictures. And he found them. The oldest picture was twenty three years old and showed a teenager in a purple, glittering outfit in a circus manege with a bow. And the face was so familiar. Tony felt a lump in his throat. He looked at the other pictures and found one of Clint in a gray suit in a casino in Las Vegas and the guy beside him, that was Tony himself. 

Dammit. They knew it. They knew it all the time. And they were after him since he was a teenager. Tony opened the other pictures he found. A few were just portraits of him but a few were really heavy stuff. Apparently he's been captured and tortured severely a few times since he was with SHIELD and they had pictures of the wounds. Tony nearly puked when he saw, what the evil guys had done to him. He still remembered the young boy with the smooth skin and the beautiful body he met in New York but now he had to have scars all over his body. 

He read his file. When Francis... Clint... left him in Las Vegas he managed to hide for two more years. But he made a name for himself as contract killer. With a bow. Obviously he had used the money he'd won that day in the casino to get his bow. Twenty seven approved kills and possible forty four more but only rumored. And then they finally managed to capture him. 

They got a chance when he got sick and had to go to a hospital. It was rumored that he was in a small country in Africa and killed their dictator but got infected with the Marburg Virus. 

“Oh boy.” He googled and discovered that the virus had a death rate of about eighty percent. But when Clint was in hospital SHIELD detained him and brought him to their own hospital. He was on the edge for quite some time and after he'd survived he had to decide, death sentence or work for SHIELD. Apparently he chose the latter. 

He found mission reports and then something interesting. They sent him to kill 'The Black Widow', a Russian killer but he decided against it and recruited her. And her name was Natasha Romanov. That's why the two are so close, Tony thought. 

He had difficulties with his superior Agents until they assigned him to Coulson. But he still held the SHIELD record of filed complaints. He wasn't a team player. Luckily for him he was the best sniper SHIELD had, otherwise they would've gotten rid of him. Tony had to grin. Apparently the young boy he met was really the greatest marksman in the world. 

Tony found two more interesting notes. Fury wanted him to kill Bruce after they discovered that he was the Hulk but Clint refused. And he was in New Mexico with an arrow trained on Thor's head when he tried to get to Mjölnir. They both were alive. It seemed that he still has something like a conscience. Tony copied the file onto his personal server.

“Jarvis, could you please tell Agent Barton that I want to talk to him?” He addressed his AI.

“Of course, sir.” Jarvis answered and Tony went to the secret room behind his workshop. He opened the panel to punch in his code and then the door appeared and he could go in.  


It was still there. Carefully he took the case and carried it into his workshop before he closed the door. Just in time because now Clint entered the room and strolled over to him.

“Your AI told me you want to talk to me?” He asked and looked at Tony, still with his shades on.

“Yes. Can you... please...” Tony gestured at the sunglasses and he took them off. But he looked at Tony with cocked head and now he could clearly see the young man he once met. 

He took the case and handed it to Clint and the younger man looked at him suspiciously. 

“Open it.” Tony said and the assassin put it down on one of the workbenches and opened it. It was a bow. 

“Wow.” He breathed when he took the weapon out of the case. It was the most beautiful bow Clint had seen so far. He took it into his hand and it was perfectly adapted for his hands. 

“Tony, I...” He started but the older man had turned and looked for the arrows he built a few days ago. “I don't know what to say.” Clint said.

“I've built it twenty years ago.” Tony murmured quietly and handed him some arrows as well. “For someone with the name Francis.”

“I'm sorry, Tony. I.. I didn't know...” Clint started.

“Me neither.” Tony turned and sat down on a stool. And when he looked up at Clint, the archer was very close. With both his hands he took Tony's face and leaned down to kiss him, chaste at first but when Tony opened up it was the most intense, fierce and thrilling kiss he had had in years. 

“Thank you.” Clint finally whispered. 

 

***

 

“Oh god, what have we done.” Clint moaned and threw an arm over his eyes. 

“I don't know what you call it... but where I come from it's called sex. Fucking amazing sex, by the way.” Tony snickered and turned to the other man, lying beside him. 

“No, that's not... fuck, Tony... you're with Pepper and... this...” Tony chuckled now when he heard him stammering and took his face between his hands. 

“I'm not.” He said and kissed the younger man, claiming his lips with his own.

“What do you mean, you're not.” Clint mumbled into Tony's mouth. And the older man broke the kiss to lean back.

“It's what public believes. We're not together. We're just good friends. Pepper is with Happy.” 

“Your driver?” Clint stared baffled.

“Her bodyguard and driver. Yes.” Tony nodded.

“But... why?” 

“Why? I guess because they are in love.” Tony smirked and got slapped on his arm.

“No, I mean... all this... okay, what happens here?” He finally asked and now Tony dropped back onto the cushion and looked at the ceiling.

“I'm gay, Clint. Not bi, like everyone believes. When the press caught me and Pepper dancing on a gala they thought we are together. It's not true, we just didn't deny it.” He turned his head to look at the archer.

“What about all the girls you've been seen with?”

“Give them enough money and they tell the press whatever you want them to tell.”

“Why?” 

“It's my private live and it should be... well... private.”

“Okay. Cool.” Clint grinned now. Tony wrapped his arm around Clint's middle and pulled him to his chest. With his hand he explored the skin on his back and he felt scars and other torture marks and when he looked at him, he had also scars on his chest and abdomen.

“What happened to you, Clint?” Tony asked quietly, kissing one nasty looking scar over his right nipple.

“SHIELD work isn't exactly safe.” He murmured and lowered his eyes but put his head on Tony's chest. 

“You could've stayed.” Tony said. “I... I wanted you to stay.”

“Why didn't you say anything?” Clint looked up to him. 

“I don't know. I was an idiot. I was scared.”

“So you just took what you could get.” Clint stated.

“Yes.” Tony kissed his forehead. “When I heard you laugh, that second time we were together, that was the moment I fell for you, did you know that? But then... That day in Las Vegas, when you left, I finally wanted to ask you to stay with me. I wanted to give you the bow. I wanted...” 

“Tony, don't. Let bygones be bygones. These two guys, back then, they were Edward and Francis. They are gone. Let's... let us start something new. Without the things we'd done. Let's forget the arms dealer and the hustler. We're now Iron Man and Hawkeye... Avengers. We're the good ones.” He smirked at the last sentence. “And I love you.” He added, now with a very sincere expression on his face.

Tony smiled and leaned over to kiss him again. “I love you.” He murmured.

**Author's Note:**

> [Hustler Clint](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc0swvf8591qaryoeo1_500.jpg)
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> [Jeremy laughing](http://vimeo.com/51121173)
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> [asamandra on tumblr](http://asamandra.tumblr.com/)


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